Greater Joliet Area YMCA President & CEO Katy Leclair Will Receive 2026 ATHENA Award: Here's Why

(The following press release is from Sarah Rees of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce.)

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry and its Council for Working Women announced on Tuesday morning that Greater Joliet Area YMCA President & CEO Katy Leclair is the 2026 recipient of The ATHENA Award. Katy will be honored at the Chamber’s 39th ATHENA luncheon on Wednesday, September 23, 11:30 a.m., at the Jacob Henry Mansion Estate’s Victorian Ballroom.

Established in 1982, the ATHENA Award Program recognizes outstanding leaders—women and men—who embody professional excellence, dedicate their time and talents to enhancing the quality of life in their communities and actively support others, especially women, in reaching their full leadership potential.

Katy Leclair has spent more than two decades building a career rooted in leadership, community service and creating opportunities for others to grow and thrive. As President & CEO of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA, she has helped lead an organization that has tripled in size while expanding access to health and wellness, youth development, childcare and community-based programming throughout Will and Grundy counties.

Under Leclair's leadership, the YMCA has achieved several significant milestones. The organization raised more than $21 million through its Community Grows Here Capital Campaign, leading to the opening of the 60,000-square-foot Morris Hospital YMCA in December 2025. In April 2026, the YMCA also celebrated the opening of the new 60,000-square-foot Village of Shorewood YMCA, which serves as the organization's Regional Office and provides programs and services to the growing community.

Leclair has also helped expand the YMCA's impact beyond traditional facilities. In 2025, the organization announced the creation of the Joliet Community YMCA, bringing year-round youth development, sports and family programming into neighborhood locations through partnerships with Joliet Junior College, the Salvation Army, Messiah Lutheran Church and Joliet School Districts 86 and 204.

Her leadership and the work of the teams she supports have earned numerous recognitions, including multiple Chicago Tribune Top Workplace honors, the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry's 2024 Social Service Organization of the Year Award and the 2024 Zonta Club Woman of the Year Award.

A longtime advocate for the advancement of women, Leclair has made it a priority throughout her career to create opportunities for women and girls. In 2013, she was selected to serve on the YMCA of the USA's National Women's Leadership Network Steering Committee, where she helped identify strategies to support the professional development of women at YMCAs across the country. Through this work, the group established a national book club for female leaders, launched local resource groups and expanded access to leadership development opportunities.

Leclair also works to foster a culture of growth and opportunity within the Greater Joliet Area YMCA. Today, the organization employs more than 1,200 people and has been recognized by the Chicago Tribune as a Top Workplace for four consecutive years. The effort is led by a collaborative team of six women in leadership.